Emil goldschmitt



Y(No Modl.)

E. GOLDSGHMITT. LBNGTHS DIVIDING SCALE.

Wiz/:asses:

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL GOLDSCHMITT, OF BAIREUTH, GERMANY.

LENGTHS-DIVIDING SCALE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,219, dated April 11, 1893.

Application led September 28, 1892. Serial No. 447,131. (No model.) Patented in Germany June 6, 1890, No. 55,912; in France October 15, 1890. No. 208,879, and in England March 12. 1891, No. 4,466.

To a/ZZ whom t may concern..-

Be it known that I, EMIL GoLDsoHMITT, a

, subject of the King of Bavaria, and a resident of Baireuth,in the Kingdom of Bavaria, Empire of Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lengths-Dividing Scales, (for which patents have been obtained in Germany, No.55,912, dated J une 6, 1890; in England, No. 4,466, dated March 12, 1891, and in France, No. 208,879, dated October 15, 1890,) of which the following is afull, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to a device for dividing a line of given length into a number of equal parts, and at the same time for reading the length of such divisional parts; another object of my improvements is to determine the height of a triangle, or the length of any perpendicular from a point to a line, without drawing the said perpendicular; and nally my improved scale is provided with an arrangement permitting the measurement of the angle formed by two lines. These improvements are effected by means of two sets of small iiat bars, linked one to another in the fashion of lazy-tongs, in combination with a measuring-scale placed in the direction in which the lazy-tongs expand, another'measuring-scale placed in a direction perpendicular to the first, and a protractor arranged at the point of intersection of two of the said at bars, a number of the same being prolonged.

In order to disclose my invention more fully, I will proceed to describe a lengths-dividing scale constructed according to my improvements, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which is a plan view of the instrument.

The device consists Iirst of a number of small iiat bars e arranged in two sets, the bars of each set being parallel to one another, and each bar of one set being linked by pins c to ve bars of the other set. The extensible part formed by the combination of these flat bars is the main part of my lengths-dividing scale. At the ends of this extensible part I provide two legs A A, and the four lat bars linked to the same are lettered don the drawing. Only one bar d is equal in length to the bars e, the other three being shorter as shown.

The legs A A are pivotally connected to each other by moans of a pin a, and may be secured in their relative positions by means of a screw-nut b. The lower end of the pin, a, [not visable on the drawing] should be pointed, so that it may be pressed into the paper, wood or other material on which the instrument is to be used. Two bars e of each set are prolonged, as indicated at B, and linked to the legs A, in order to insure the rectilinear expansion and contraction of the lazy-tongs. One of the legs A, and all bars e and d parallel to the same, are pointed and numbered in succession 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, dec., the last point bearing the number 16, in the example shown on the drawing. lt is of course immaterial of how many bars the instrument is composed, and I preferably construct the same with twenty-one or twenty-six pointed ends, thus permitting the division of a line into twenty or twenty-fi ve parts respectively; but any other number of bars may be employed. It is likewise immaterial whether two bars or more are connected to the legs A, and it is obvious that an instrument of larger size than that shown on the drawing may be provided conveniently with a greater number of bars B, while the latter may be dispensed with in part or entirely,when the instrument is of smaller size. Finallyit is not necessary that cach bar e of one set should be connected to five bars of the other, though for sake of rigidity of the instrument it is preferable that each bar e should be secured at least to three bars of the other set.

To one of the pins c-at any place in the extensible part-I secure the measuring-scale O, and to the pin c distant from the said pin by two bars e-or d, as the case may be-I likewise secure a frame f adapted to receive and t0 guide the measuring-scale O, which by this means is always kept parallel to the line formed by the points of the bars e. The scale C may be graduated in millimeters and lines. The guide-frame f is provided with a Wire hserving as an index; this wire is placed right over the pin c to which the guide-frame f is secured. The latter is provided with beveled edges in order to facilitate the reading of the lengths. The graduation of the scale C is such as to indicate the distance be- IOO tween the points of two adjoining bars e; that is to say, the divisions of the scale C are twice their true length. Of course if the scale C and guide-frame f are secured to pins c distant from each other by three bars e, the divisions of the scale C will be three times their true length, and I may tix the guideframef at any distance from the fixed end of the scale C, Without departing from the nature of my invention. Along the inner beveled edges of the guide-framefl arrange two verners D and D respectively, one permitting to read tenths of a millimeter, and the other half points.

To one of the pins c-preferably one of the horizontal row nearest the points of the bars e-I secure a second measuring-scale C and guide the same in a guide-frame f fixed to anotherv pin c, so that the direction of the scale Cis always perpendicular to that of the scale C and to the line formed by the pointsof the bars e. The construction of the scale C and guide-frame f is substantially the same as that of the scaleC and guide-frame f, and I may also provide verniers D2D3 for the measuring-scale C. The graduation of the latter is such that the wire h serving as an index indicates thelength of the perpendicular from the center of the pin ato line formed by the points of the bars e. I have added the verniers D D D2 D3 merely for insuring a more exact reading of the lengths, and when such exactitude is not needed, the said verniers may of course be dispensed with.

At the point of intersection of two bars B (or it may be at the joint of the legs A) I secure the protractor E to one of the saine, and

to the other a piece g ot' Wood, metal or other suitable material, and I form a beveled edge. to the said piece g so that it may serve as a pointer and indicate on the protractor E E the angle formed by the bars B, or the legs A. I may also provide avernier for securing more exact indications than by the protractor E alone.

I will now describethe operation of my improved lengths-dividing scale, first for dividing a line into a given number of parts and for ascertaining the length of the divisional part and of the entire line; secondly for determining the length of a perpendicular from a given point to a given line; and thirdly, for measuring the angle formed by two given lines.

First example: I will suppose that a lineis to be divided into nine equal parts. The point of the leg A bearing the indication O is then placed at one extremity of the said line, and the lazy-tongs extended until the point bearing the indication 9 coincides with the other end. When the material on which the line to be divided is soft, the division may simply be effected by pressing the point-s l to Sinto the material. Or the divisional strokes may be marked with a pencil or scriber. N ow, in order to ascertain the length of the divisional part, the measuring-scale C and its verniers D and D areconsulted, and the length indicated on the same by the wire h may for instance be found equal to sixteen and nine-tenths millimeters, or eight lines. In order to determine the length of the entire line, it is but necessary to multiply this indication by nine, thus the length of the linewould in this example be equal to one hundred and fifty-two and one tenth millimeters, or six inches. It will be found very convenient to affix a suitable table of multiplication to the instrument.

. Second example: The length of the perpendieular from a point to a line is to be ascertained. The point of the pin a, at the intersection of the legs A, is driven into thepaper, wood, dac., at the indicated point and the lazytongs drawn apart until the numbered points ot the bars c come to lie all on the given line. The length of the perpendicular will then be indicated by the Wire h' on the measuringscale C and its verniers D? D3. It will be seen that it is not necessary the perpendicular should be drawn. i

Third example: To measure theangleformed by two given lines. It is'immaterial whether the lines extend to the summit of the angle or not. The bars B towhich the preti-actor E and the pointer-gare fixed, are placed so that their edges coincide with the given lines, when the angle formed by the latter Will be indicated on the protractorE by the pointer g.

The instrument may also be used for enlarging or kreducing lengths in a great many of ratios and much more simply than was possible heretofore.

The above described form of construction, consisting in securingthe lazy-tongs between legs A, is the form in which I prefer to make my invention; but the extensible part may also be employed without the use of legs A, when of course the measuring-scale Cf becomes of no. use. The instrument would then be reducedl to its simplest form and consist only of the lazy-tongs, of the measuring scale C arranged in the direction in which the expansion and contraction take place, and of the guide-frame f with its indicating wire` h. This form of construction would only permit of dividing a line into equal parts, and to determine thelength of the parts and of the entire line, in the manner described above.

I will also mention that the` employment of my lengths-dividing scale is not limited to the division of lines on plane surfaces, but the same may also be used for dividing lines on curved surfaces, as the instrument may be made. of material permitting of being bent.

I am aware that lazy-tongs have been employed in lengths-dividing-scales, but the graduated measuring-scale was placed transversely to the lazy-tongs; now, as the extension of the latter in length is not proportionate to that in breadth, it would have been necessary to provide adisproportional graduation on the measuring-scale, and this would have increased the cost of manufacturing the IOO IIO

instrument. In this respect my invention is a valuable improvement over the old lengthdividers. Another advantage of my construction, not to be found in the similar instruments used hitherto, is that the rectilinearity of the extensible part formed by the lazytongs is insured by connecting each bar e of one set to three bars at least of the other set.

I-Iaving thus fully described the nature of my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- 1. In a lengths-dividing-scale, the combination with the legs A, A, pivoted together at one end, and the bars d, and e, connectedtogether and to the legs A, A, in the manner of lazy-tongs and adapted to be extended as described, of a measuring scale C arranged in the direction in which the extension of the lazy-tongs is eected, for the purpose specied.

2. In a lengths-dividing-scale, the combination,with the lazy-tongs formed by the bars d e, of the legs A, bars B, the measuring-scale C and guide-frame f, provided With index h, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a lengths-dividing scale, the combination, with thelaZy-tongs formed by the bars d e, of the legs A, bars B, the measuring-scale nation, with the lazy-ton gs formed `by the bars d e, of the legs A, bars B, the measuring-scale C, guide-frame f provided with index'h, and with verniers D D', the measuring-scale C', guide-framef, provided With the index h and with verniers D2 D3, and of the protractor E, provided with pointer g, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of tw'o subscribing witnesses.

MIL GOLDSOHMITT.

Vitnesses:

WILBUR` ENDREs, i RUNOND KUPP. 

